A number of autographed, Eddie Van Halen-played guitars are set to be auctioned by Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
The headliner of the group is a heavily-used, hand-made, -painted, and -striped 1986 Custom Kramer Striped guitar that Eddie used prominently during Van Halen's 5150 tour.
Gifted by Eddie to Van Halen guitar tech Kevin “King” Dugan at the conclusion of the 5150 tour, the guitar was stolen from a recording studio in Cleveland, then retrieved, after which Eddie re-painted and re-autographed the guitar, hence the "To my buddy Kevin!! V.H. ‘95” message on its body.
The guitar is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Dugan, which details its history. Given its provenance, Gotta Have Rock and Roll has valued it at a staggering $600,000 – $800,000, with an equally jaw-dropping minimum bid of $400,000.
Also going under the hammer is a Van Halen-played Kramer Frankenstrat copy. Custom-made and hand-striped by Dan Handerson from original Kramer parts, prior to his time as a Van Halen stage tech, Eddie played the guitar during a soundcheck prior to a show on Van Halen's 1995 Balance tour.
Unable to play the guitar onstage due to his then-deal with Ernie Ball Music Man, Eddie autographed the guitar with the words “Nice copy Dan! ‘95," and, ironically, "Not for Resale.”
Valued at $100,000 – $150,000, the guitar has a minimum bid of $50,000. It comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Up for sale as well is a 2004 "Tic Tac Toe" Charvel, one of the first models in the EVH-designed 2004 Charvel Art Series. Said to be the only Art Series model that Eddie hand-striped in its entirety, the guitar was played by the six-string legend during an August 5, 2004 Van Halen show in Phoenix, Arizona.
Sold with photographs of Eddie Van Halen striping this guitar, the guitar is valued by Gotta Have Rock and Roll at $200,000 – $250,000. The minimum bid for the instrument is $150,000.
Finally, there's an EVH-played and -signed, fan-made custom guitar bearing the "No Bozos" logo. The unnamed fan brought the guitar to 5150 Studios, where Eddie played and signed the guitar, and posed for a photo with its owner.
That photo comes included with the guitar, which is valued at $20,000 – $30,000, and has a minimum bid of $15,000.
The auction for all four of these Eddie Van Halen-played and -signed guitars opens tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14.
For more info on the guitars, stop by gottahaverockandroll.com.
